Friday, December 7, 2012

I know it has been a while, but this has been sitting in my "draft" folder for a while now and I figured it was high time to get it posted!

(Please be warned - there are some photos below that may make you want to avert your eyes in horror)

Leading up to Luca's arrival, I had felt almost no signs of impending labour. No Braxton Hicks. No strange cramping. I hadn't "dropped" either. I wasn't worried about it, though. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't rushing him! I was sort of petrified of labour, so I was more than happy to keep Luca all warm and cozy in utero for the time being.

His due date was June 22, and I finished work two weeks prior to that (June 8 was my last day of work). With all of the commuting and swelling, I was uncomfortable and was looking forward to putting my (super fat, Cabbage Patch-like) feet up. I booked a spa appointment for June 11 (yes, the first day off). Why so early when I had two weeks of leisure?

I *knew* I would have Luca early. I swear. I always thought the due date was off by about a week, but there is no arguing with the little round calendar in your obstetrician's office. Even if you tell them that you know the date of conception. They don't care. If the circle says June 22, that's that.

Like I said - I had a feeling he would come early, but I kept telling him that I needed a week off. Not that I had a high intensity job, but lugging all of that extra weight around, in the city, on the TTC, with feet that looked like this:

I'm grossed out looking at them even now!!

So yeah - I was ready to relax but NOT ready for the labour to start. What would it be like? Could I do it? Could I deal with the pain? Would the baby be okay? Lots of fears.

I spent the rest of the week relaxing. I slept in (which was necessary because I was waking up a billion times a night). I vegged on the couch and watched tv (oh, to have cable again). Caught up on some blog reading and finished getting things ready in the nursery. Oh, and took about 6 baths. SO good.

(yes - massive and uncomfortable. I can't believe I'm posting this picture, but you did already see my jumbo feet...)

On Friday night, I had a hard time sleeping. Of course, this wasn't a surprise but I did find myself waking up due to a strange sensation in my belly. It wasn't pain, and if I remember correctly, by the time I was awake and was coherent enough to know what was going on, the feeling was gone. Do you know what I mean? Like when you hear a bang in the middle of the night. You sit up quickly...."what was that?" You can't be sure what you heard, but because it woke you up, you know you heard something.

It happened a few times throughout the night and finally, around 7 a.m. I got out of bed and ran a bath. I was awake. I couldn't sleep. I may as well relax in the tub. I googled my ailment and according to Dr. Google, I was having Braxton Hicks contractions. They were regular-ish but they went away when I would stand up (which can be a feature of BH). This couldn't be labour. That much was clear to me.

So I chilled in the tub for a while and the BH went away. When I stood up (which was NOT easy, of course), I felt something that could only be described as "my water breaking". :-) I definitely felt a little gush of water, but like I said - this couldn't be labour. That much was clear to me. It was probably just water dripping off my massive belly, right?

I then got dressed as I was heading to a baby shower for a good friend of mine. J was finishing up a few projects as he was heading out to the Radiohead concert that night. We said goodbye, and I told him to keep his phone with him. You know. Just in case I went into labour. Because I wasn't in labour yet, right?

I was picked up by a friend who also has a little boy. As we were driving, I told her about my morning and she looked at me like I was nuts for going to the shower. I'm guessing she thought I was in labour. haha.

At the shower, I was starting to get more uncomfortable. Standing wasn't comfortable, and sitting wasn't much better. I was self conscious of my fat legs and feet. Older women looked at my sympathetically and said "it won't be anytime soon - you haven't dropped yet!"

Swollen, Massive, and (as I later realized) Having Contractions.

About halfway through, when I found myself in the powder room, holding on to the sink and breathing through a contraction, I thought to myself...

"I think I'm in labour"

To be continued (but don't worry - I won't drag it out over 7 posts :-)....

14
comments:

Sara McCarty
said...

Hahaha! I was in total denial too. For some reason I thought it would take hours and hours and days of laboring before I was actually ready to have a baby...nope it happens pretty quickly! My feet were that swollen too. I feel your pain! Can't wait to read the rest!

HA. Love this. My water broke when I was in the washroom at my Mom's house. The first thing I thought was "Oh for f**k's sake, no one told me I'd loose bladder control too!" and then I paused and realized I hadn't peed myself. That it was totally my water breaking. Annnnnd 3 hours later I had Oscar. I had been in denial for awhile too. ;)

My husband was in denial with my son (2nd child). I woke up at 2:30 am to pee and it just would not stop ;) I told him we had to get the babysitter and go to the hospital. His reaction was - honey, come back to bed, it's just another pregnancy symptom...we have a week until the planned C-section...He was born at 4:36 am...

Oh there was NO denying how fat my feet and legs were. I had to buy a pair of size 10 shoes for my shower (I am usually a 8.5). Brutal. Luckily they started shrinking almost immediately after having the baby.

Funny...and I'm sure you are like me where you had heard a billion stats on how hardly anyone starts off with their water breaking...there is usually a lead up and it is usually broken for you at the hospital! I think that is why I was still thinking that maybe it wasn't my water...

The swollen feet thing really stinks eh!? And there are always lots of people around who will say "oh just wear flip flops sweetie!". Um...flip flops on feet like that? I can't imagine anything grosser. I still did it though, because nothing else fit, but it was UGLY.

One day I was in the elevator at work and someone looked at me, looked at my feet and said "aw...honey...I'm so sorry". Arg.

I have followed your pregnancy, and you look most beautiful, you are just ozzing pride and love for your little baby..that's what we see, beauty (ok, not the feet) they just look swollen and sore, the things we go through to be mommas.

About Me

We bought an old (and I mean OLD) Victorian rowhouse in downtown Toronto in 2009 and have been enjoying all of the ups and downs it has brought into our lives since! Life is good (and scary!). Have any questions or comments? Email me at lifebeginsatthirtyright (at) gmail(dot)com